Academic research typically advances knowledge, but it can also make a real difference. For several Penn State Abington students participating in the Abington College Undergraduate Research Activities (ACURA) program, their research reflects the issues at the very heart and soul of our society.

For instance, senior Psychological and Social Sciences major Christa Vanet spent many days last fall observing the homeless at a soup-kitchen in Philadelphia to gain a better understanding of how homeless people fit into society. She did the same at train stations and parks.

"I was going downtown a lot for an internship (at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) and I saw a lot of homeless people going about their daily lives. It made me want to learn more about them," she said.

What she found was a microcosm of society; a world where people are mostly self-reliant, but also seek help when necessary. As often as not, they rely on and support each other when they need food, money, or a recommendation on a good physician or something similar.

Other ACURA projects:

• Senior Science and History student John Madara and Tom McGuire, lecturer of biology, and Eric Ingersoll, associate professor of biology, have been testing a hormone—human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)—which is produced by pregnant women and appears to reduce the risks of contracting breast cancer throughout the lifespan. Madara and McGuire have presented their research findings at the Pennsylvania Academy of Science on numerous occasions, and they have published papers in the Pennsylvania Academy of Science Journal.

• Senior Business student Kristen Shubick and Assistant Professor of Marketing Shruti Gupta explored consumer response to celebrities’ irresponsible behavior, focusing on NFL star Michael Vick and his incarceration on dog-fighting charges. Do consumers hold such a celebrity accountable for his social irresponsible action as they would a corporation? Are consumers willing to continue to support, or will they withdraw support, from Vick?

• Senior Business student Katie Silveus and Lonnie Golden, professor of economics, examined if college students and high school students who have jobs spend less time studying or attending class when compared with those who do not work. Specifically, Silveus and Golden found, using the American Time Use Survey, that individuals who are employed tend to spend relatively less time studying if they work as few as five or more hours per week. Differences between those who work and those who don't grow as hours of work become longer.

• Junior IST students Klaudia Breslavets and John Russella, and Senior IST Lecturer Ed Green are developing a proposal that would provide students from underserved/disadvantaged communities’ opportunities with the digital skills necessary to compete on equal footing with more advantaged students.

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